Retirees focus on two key things when deciding where to retire: healthcare and income taxes. More than favorable weather, seniors need low (or no) income taxes, manageable property taxes and affordable, quality medical insurance to ensure they can live their retirement years free from financial stress.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes workplace sexual harassment illegal. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other sexual conduct that “explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment”. This includes “quid pro quo” behavior, and any conduct that works to create a hostile work environment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is tasked with enforcing Title VII. An investigation will consider the wider picture of the workplace by asking questions like: What is the nature of the sexual advances? What is the context of the workplace?

In August, the U.S. tax court awarded over $17 million to a pair of whistleblowers in a landmark decision that expanded the range of what can be claimed in such cases. For the first time, the tax court’s ruling permitted whistleblowers to get a portion of criminal fines and civil forfeitures in addition to part of the taxes the government recouped because of information they provided. The Wall Street Journal reports that the parties involved in the case weren’t disclosed, but it appears to stem from the prosecution of Wegelin & Co. The Swiss bank closed after it pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiring with U.S. taxpayers to hide money from the IRS.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education, under the instruction of the Obama Administration, sent a letter to colleges and universities across the country clarifying (and in the opinion of many, expanding) the schools’ obligations under Title IX to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and assault on campus. Many incidents of sexual assault on campus are – rightly or wrongly – adjudicated by colleges and universities rather than courts of law. The changes introduced in the “Dear Colleague” letter are making waves in communities across the country.

On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a U.S.-born-and-raised Afghani, entered an Orlando night club with a SIG Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm Glock 17 and killed 49 people while pledging allegiance to ISIL. It is the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001 and the deadliest single-gunman mass shooting in U.S. history. Following the tragedy, the long-standing debate over regulation of gun ownership in the US rages on. Part of the debate over whether gun ownership restrictions would have prevented the Orlando tragedy stems from the fact that Mateen held a valid concealed carry permit and legally purchased the weapons and ammunition he used even though the FBI briefly placed Mateen on a terrorist watch list following his expression of pro-al-Quaeda and pro-ISIS sentiments.

The first bill President Obama ever signed as President was the Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Act. The law amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It clarified the statute of limitations on bringing a claim of wage discrimination. Before the passing of the law and according to a 2007 Supreme Court case, the statute of limitations began when the wage discrimination began (presumably when a woman started her job). This meant that by the time a woman learned of the wage disparity, the statute of limitations may have already been fulfilled.

The default presumption for an employer/employee relationship across the United States is “at-will”. What does “at-will” mean? In an at-will relationship, employment can be terminated at any time and for any reason. This is a two-way street. While the employer can fire an employee at any time, so too can an employee resign his or her employment whenever they choose, without providing any notice or reason. At-will employment can be controversial. On one hand, employees are free to take up employment and leave when they prefer. Employers can dismiss their workers as and how business requires. Yet in a relationship in which only one party (the employer) has the upper hand- the consequences for a vulnerable employee left without a salary or security can be devastating. It is contrary to our sense of decency that careers can simply be taken away on a whim.

Many employees, and potential employees experience harassment and discrimination based on their gender, disability, race or sexual orientation. Sometimes the behavior is subtle, and sometimes it is overt. Whatever the situation, it is always inexcusable. Federal laws exist to combat discrimination.

The person that handed you your last greasy hamburger, plate of fries, or coffee cup could very well be making less an hour than your entire order costs.

The Fair Labor Standards Act was implemented in 1938 to set employee payment regulations. Minimum wage, the forty-hour work week, and overtime are just a few of the items covered under the FLSA. Although employers are required by law to meet at least the minimum requirement nationwide, the federal minimum wage is still only $7.25 an hour, and this doesn’t reach the living wage in even the poorest areas in the United States. It doesn’t even pay for a coffee and sandwich at Starbucks.

What is an independent contractor? How does a worker know if they are supposed to be an independent contractor or an employee? To determine a worker classification, one must look at the relationship between the person preforming services and the employer. An independent contractor classification is not something that can be defined by a job description.

For more than 30 years, the lawyers at Parks, Chesin & Walbert have been committed to representing clients in a wide array of litigation matters, including constitutional disputes, employment discrimination, civil rights, class actions, government contracting, and catastrophic injury cases.